| HC directives in PIL on improving efficiency, quality of justice | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 29: In a PIL on improving accountability, quality and efficiency of justice dispensation system towards the J&K people, a high court division bench of Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur today issued various directions.
As a prayer was made for directing Registry to treat all the contempt petitions as specially ordered cases by constituting special benches, the bench directed it to furnish year wise and judge wise list of all contempt petitions for posting the matters on priority basis.
The PIL also sought direction to respodents to implement J&K Law Officers (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2016 in letter and spirit vis-à-vis the appointment of Law Officers, Public Prosecutors and Standing Counsels. A direction was also sought to the respondents to implement and carry out the directions and guidelines of Supreme Court of India in clubbed SLPs (C) in cases titled State of Punjab and ors. v/s Brijeshwar Singh Chahal and ors and Pardeep Kumar Rapria v/s State of Haryana & ors in letter and spirit.
The petitioner also sought direction to Registrar General for apprising the court of the exact number of pending contempt petitions in both the wings of the high court of J&K in Jammu and Srinagar.
The bench observed that respondents, through their counsels, had on April 28 last stated that J&K Law Officers (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2016 were being followed and would be followed in letter and spirit. The advocate general also assured the court that a written undertaking would be fully complied with. The bench observed that insofar as the grievance that government counsels were not being paid remuneration, in the response filed, it "is stated that it shall be ensured that the same is paid, if not otherwise paid, within three monthssubject to verification and in accordance with rules and standing orders issued by the government from time to time".
The bench ordered that in case, the fee was not paid within three months, it would be paid at the rate of 9 pc interest from the date of the expiry of three months. |
|
